Long-range energy plan July 2007 Created as part of a bill Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed at the end of the 2007 legislative session, Minnesota’s NextGen Energy Board has been asked to do something our society hasn’t historically done well: come up with a sensible long-range energy plan. Specifically, the board has the task of helping develop a long-term bioenergy strategy for Minnesota. One of its most important functions will be to examine the future of biofuels, including new technologies that are not yet widely used, and develop policies and recommendations to keep our state in the lead on renewable energy. I am honored to be one of 19 members on the NextGen Board, which also includes state legislators and officials from other state agencies. The board is rounded out with members recruited from academic institutions and from farm groups and other non-profit organizations with a well-established interest in biofuels development. At the first meeting of the board earlier this summer, each of us had the opportunity to meet other members of the board and start our discussions. In monthly meetings to come, our to-do list includes: • Consider the long-term outlook for Minnesota’s ethanol and biodiesel sectors; • Examine the prospects of new fuels such as synthetic gases, biobutanol, hydrogen, methanol; • Study the proper role of the state in creating financing and investing and providing incentives; • Evaluate how state and federal programs – including the upcoming farm bill – can be designed and implemented to leverage resources and achieve shared goals; • Report to legislators on the results of past investments, actions and projects; and • Develop a set of recommendations for legislative appropriations. Pick up any newspaper and you can see articles discussing the uncertainty of the nation’s energy future. Depending on which expert you ask, the solution to the nation’s energy challenges lies in any number of new technologies or policy approaches. In the months leading up to the 2008 legislative session, our board will sift through these ideas and try to determine which approaches make the most sense for Minnesota. The overriding goal here is to position Minnesota so the entire state – and especially our farmers and rural communities – can continue to enjoy the economic, environmental and social benefits of a strong and growing renewable fuels sector. We want to make sure that Minnesota hangs onto its hard-earned reputation as an international leader in the development, production and use of renewable fuels. As Gov. Pawlenty said when he signed the bill creating the NextGen Board, “the best time to have taken action on energy issues would’ve been 30 years ago. The second best time is right now.”
